Gate-operating mechanism for meal-cookers and analogous apparatus.



A. W. FRENCH.

.GAT'E OPERATING MECHANISM FOR MEAL COOKERS AND ANALOGOUS APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FlLED APR. 20, I914.

Pafented Nov. 23, M5.

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i ED STATES PA a a ALFRED-W. FRENCH, OF PIQU-A, OHIO.

OFFICE.

GATE-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR MEAL-COOKEBS AND ANALOG-OTIS APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 20, 1914'. Serial m. 883,066.

apparatus having a plurality of chambers which are arranged to permitthe material to discharge from one chamber to another and are providedwith discharge gates which control the delivery of the materialfrom onechamber to the next in such a way as to regulate the depth of materialin the several chambers and the length of time that itremains therein.In Patent No. 1,091,055, granted to me March 24, 1914, is disclosed anapparatus of this nature in which the gates are operated so that onechamber is not discharged until the chamber next below, which receivesthe material therefrom,

has been emptied and the gate thereof.

closed, the gate of one chamber being closed by a float or deviceactuated by the material accumulating in the receiving chamber and beingheld closed by a latch. In the present apparatus, as in said priorapparatus, the discharge gate of one chamber is closed by a float ordevice actuated by the material accumulating in the next or re ceivingchamber and is preferably secured when closed by a latch which must 'bereleased to permit the gate to open.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved gate closingmechanism of this nature which will operate to positively and quicklyclose the gate tight or to the latching point in such a way as toprevent the material from packing or accumulating in front of the gateand interfering with the prompt or complete closing of the gate.

Other objects are to provide a construction in which the movement of thegate is greater than that of its actuating float or device so that arelatively small movement of the latter will suflice to completely closethe gate from a position in which it is sufficiently open to allow afree or rapid discharge of the material; and also to enable themechanism to be readily adjusted to regulate, as required, the depth towhich the material is permitted to accumulate in the chambers, and so asto prevent injury to the mechanism by the pressure of material onPatented 'Nw. 23, 1915. p

the gate closing device after the gate is I closed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of ameal cooker showing gate operating mechanism embodying the invention fortwo of the gates thereof. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevationthereof. Fig. 3 is a plan thereof partly in horizontal section in line3-3, Fig. 1. Figs.

' 4 and 5 are sectional elevations in line 44,

Fig. 3, respectively showing the gate closed and open. Fig. 6 is asectional elevation of the link connecting the float and gate.

A represents a portion of an oil-meal cooker or analogous apparatuscomprising a series of chambers 1, 2, of which be any desired number,each provided with a bottom discharge opening a and arranged.

so that the material can discharge by gravity from one chamber into thenext lower chamber.

B indicates an arm or sweep, such as ordinarily employed in mealcookers, which rotates in the lower portion of each chamber for stirringthe material. The rotation of this stirrer produces a sort of wave orridge on the surface of the material which follows the motion of thestirrer, and is made use of, as hereinafter explained, in closing thegate for the discharge opening.

Each chamber except the bottom one is provided with a gate C controllingthe discharge opening a thereof and adapted to open downwardly into thenext chamber below. The material can be discharged from the bottomchamber in any suitable way, depending upon the purpose for which theapparatus is used. In the case of oil-meal cookers the meal is withdrawnfrom the bottom chamber intermittently in measured quantities forforming cakes for the oil expressing presses. The gate C is secured to ashaft D by which it is hinged and one end of which extends out to theexterior of the apparatus. In the construction shown, the shaft issupported in a bearing d on the bottom of the chamber and in a bearingplate (1' secured exteriorly on the side of the apparatus, and a latchE, pivoted on the bearing plate at and held by a spring 6 against theedge of a disk F fixed to the outer end of the hinge shaft D, serves tolock the gate when it is closed. The latch permits the gate to closefreely, but by engagement with a shoulder f on the.disk F holds the gatethere may closed. Any other suitable latch adapted to allow the gate toclose and to hold it closed until the latch is released,

' could be employed.

G epresents a gate closing device or float which is adapted to ride orfloat on the mai soclosing the gate when the material has accumulated toa predetermined level in the receiving chamber. The float instead ofbeing pivoted to swing about the axis of the gate, as in theconstruction disclosed in the before mentioned application, ispreferably pivoted by a shaft 9 to swing about a different axis, and, asshown, is located at the forward side of the gate opening a so that thematerial in discharging through the opening falls in rear of the float Gand is caused to move forwardly beneath the same by the rotary stlrrerB. There is, therefore, no tendency for. the material to fall oraccumulate on the float, and the float will always ride freely'andunobstructed on the surface of the material. The float shaft g, whichmay be supported in any suitable way, extends to the outside of theapparatus, and is provided at its outer end with a rock arm H connectedby a link I to a rock arm K secured to the outer end of the gate shaftD, so that when the float is swung upwardly by the material rising inthe receiving chamber it will swing the gate upwardly and close it whenthe material attains a predetermined depth. The float arm H ispreferably longer than the gate arm K, or, in other words, the link isconnected to the arms at different distances from the shafts D and 9such that the angular movement of the gate will be greater than that ofthe float. The increased movement of the gate over the float can be madeas great as desired, by properly roportioning the lengths of the arms Han K.

The free end of the float rides or floats on the surface of the materialand is raised as the level of the material rises in the receivingchamber, and each time the stirrer passes beneath the float the wave ofmaterial caused thereby moves the float suddenly upward a distancedepending upon the height of the wave. The described connection betweenthe float and the gate therefore enables this relatively small angularmovement of the float produced by the wave to swing the gate completelyclosed from a position in which it permits a comparatively free or rapiddischarge of the material throu h the discharge opening a. This final cosing movement of the gate produced by the wave is quick and positive,so that the material will not pack or accumulate in the dischargeopening or in front of the gate and interfere with the closing thereof,as could happen with a gate which closes slowly and gradually throttlesthe discharge.

The gate and the float is preferably composed of telescopic sections 6and i, Fig. 6, having an interposed spring i by which motion istransmitted from one section tothe other. In the link shown, this springis in'closed in the link section 2', which is hollow,"'and bears againsta collar 11 in the other-link section. cause the movement of the floattoclose the gate, but it is adapted to yield and prevent injury to themechanism in the event that the float is lifted farther by the materialafter the gate is fully closed, or in case the movement of the gate isobstructed.

I connecting the arms of the The spring is strong enough to.

In order that the ate may be closed to accumulated to a greater or lessdepth in the receiving chamber and thusregulate, as required, thequantity of material in the chamber, the float G is adjustably connectedwith the gate, preferably as follows: The rock arm H is secured to theouter end of the float shaft between a collar L fixed on the shaft and anut M screwed on the shaft at the outer 'side of the arm H. Thecontacting faces of the arm H and the collar L have interlockingserrations by which the arm, which is adapted to turn on the shaft, isrigidly locked thereto when the nut M is tightened. By loosening the nutM the shaft 9 can be turned in either direction to adjust the float to,any desired angular relation to the arm H and gate C, and then securedin this position by again tightening the nut. The float can thus beadjusted so that it will close the gate when the float has been liftedto any desired pointby the material: A cotter pin m or any othersuitable device can be used for locking the nut M from turning. a

The gate closing mechanism is simple and can be readily understood andoperated by the ordinary operatives, and the adjustments for differentconditions can be readily effected from the outside of the cooker whileit is in operation. Any other suitable 115 construction enabling thefloat to be adjusted to different angular positions could be .used.

When the gate has been closed by the float in the manner described itwill be retained in the closed position by the latch E until the latchis actuated to release the gate. ,Preferably the latch for the gate ofone in. Any suitable means for locking and releasin the gates could beused, and if found desira le could be dispensed with.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with chambers ar-- ranged to permit material todischarge from one chamber into another, and a gate which controls thedischarge of the material from one chamber into another, of a gateclosing device which is actuated by the material accumulating in thereceiving chamber for closing said gate, and motion increasingconnections between said closing device and said gate whereby closingdevice produces a greater movement of said gate.

2. The combination with chambers arranged to permit material todischarge from one chamber into another, and a gate which controls thedischarge of the material from one chamber into another, a movable gateclosing device the movement of which is governed by the depth ofmaterial in the receiving chamber, and operative connections betweensaid closing device and said gate constructed to produce a movement ofsaid gate greater than the m vement of said closing device.

3. The combination with a chamber provided with a discharge opening, 'achamber arranged to receive the material discharged through saidopening, means which produce a wave in the material in said receivingchamber, and a gate for said discharge opening, of a gate closing devicearranged to be actuated by said wave in the material, and operativeconnections between said device and said gate constructed to produce amovement of sa1d gate greater than the movement of said closing device.

4. The combination with a chamber provided with a discharge opening, achamber arranged to receive the material discharged through saidopening, and a pivoted gate for said discharge opening, of a pivotedgate closing device arranged to be moved by the material accumulating inthe receiving chamber, saidpgate and closing device being pivoted toswing about different axes, and operative connections between saidclosing device and said gate constructed to produce an angular movementof the gate greater than the angular movement of said closing device.

5. The combination with a chamber provided with a discharge opening, achamber arranged to receive the material discharged through saidopening, and a gate for said discharge opening pivoted at one side ofthe opening, of a gate closing device pivoted at the opposite side ofsaid opening and arranged to be moved by'the material accu-- mulating inthe receiving chamber, and operative connections between said gateclosing device and said gate.

a movement of said 6.'The combination with a chamber provided with adischarge opening, a chamber arranged to receive the material dischargedthrough said opening, and a gate for said discharge opening pivoted atone side of the opening, of a gate closing device pivoted at theopposite side of said opening and arranged to be moved by the materialaccumulating in the receiving chamber, and operative connections betweensaid gate closing deviceandsaid gate constructed to produce a movementof the gate greater than the movement of said closing device.

7, The combination with a chamber provided with a discharge opening, achamber arranged to receive the material discharged through saidopening, and a pivoted gate for said discharge opening, of a pivotedgate closing device arranged to be moved by the material accumulating inthe receiving chamber, said gate and closing device'being pivoted toswing about different axes, and operative connections between saidclosing device and said gate, said connections being located at theoutside of the apparatus and.

being adjustable to change the angular position of the closing devicerelative to the gate. 1

8. The combination with a chamber provided with a discharge opening, achamber arranged to receive the material discharged through saidopening, and a pivoted gate for said discharge opening, of a pivotedgate closing device arranged to be moved by the material accumulating inthe receiving chamber, said gate and closing device being pivoted toswing about different axes, rock arms secured to said gate and to saidclosing device, and a link connecting said arms, the arm of said closingdevice being longer than the arm of said gate.

9. The combination with a chamber provided with a discharge opening, achamber arranged to receive the material discharged through saidopening, a gate for said discharge opening, a gate closing devicearranged to be actuated by the material accumulating in the receivingchamber, and yielding operative connections between said gate closingdevice and said gate.

10. The combination with a chamber provided with a discharge opening, achamber arranged to receive the material discharged through saidopening, and a pivoted gate for said discharge opening, of a pivotedgate closing device arranged to be moved by the material accumulating inthe receiving chamber, said gate and closing device being pivoted toswing about different axes, a latch for holding said gate closed,andfoperative connections between said closing device and said gatewhich permit a continued independent movement of the gate closing deviceafter the gate is closed.

11. The combination with a chamber provided with a dischar opening, achamber arranged to receive t e material dischar through said opening, a7 ate for said 's; charge opening, a gate 0 osing device arranged to beactuated by the materialaccumulating in the receiving chamber, and

' yielding operative connections between said gate closing device andsaid gate constructed to produce a movement of said gate greater thanthe actuating movement of saidclosing opening, of a gate closing devicearranged to be actuated by said wave in the material, operativeconnections between said device and said galte constructed to produce amovement of said gate greater than fthe movement of said closing device,and a latch which secures said 13. The combination'wlth a chamberprovided with a discharge opening, a chamber ate when closed.

arranged to receive the material discharged through said opening, and apivoted gate for said discharge opening, of a pivoted gate closingdevice arranged to be moved by the i ieipii material accumulatin in thereceiving chamber, said gate an closing device bein pivoted to swingabout difierent axes, an

operativejvconnections between said closing device and said gateconstructed to produce an an lar movement of the gate greater than t eangular movement of said closing device, said closing device beingadaptable angularly to difi'erent relations to sald op- 'erative,connections.

14. The combination with a chamber provided with a discharge opening, achamber -.arranged to receive the material discharged through saidopening, and a pivoted gate for said discharge opening, of a pivotedgate closing device arranged to be moved by the material accumulating inthe receiving chamber, said gate and closing device bein pivoted toswing about difi'erent axes, roc

arms secured to said gate and to said closing device, and a linkconnecting said arms, one

of said rock arms being adjustable angu' larly to difl'erenrt positionsrelative to the part to which it is connected.

ALFRED W. FRENCH. Witnesses:

CHARLES B. TIPTON,

M. M. WHITLOGK.

Witness my hand, this 24 day of March, 1914,

